Mitsuhide Hirasawa

Mitsuhide Hirasawa
Ring name(s)	Mitsuhide Hirasawa[1] Hideo Saito[1]
Billed height	1.87 m (6 ft 1 1⁄2 in)[1]
Billed weight	104 kg (230 lb)[1]
Born	March 27, 1982 (1982-03-27) (age 29)[1] Sapporo, Hokkaido[1]
Trained by	NJPW Dojo[2]
Debut	28 January 2006[1]

Mitsuhide Hirasawa (平澤 光秀, Hirasawa Mitsuhide^?, born 27 March 1982 in Sapporo, Hokkaido)^[1] also known by his ring name Hideo Saito (ヒデオ・サイトー, Saito Hideo^?), is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling.^[1]

Professional wrestling career

New Japan Pro Wrestling (2006–present)

Hirasawa originally debuted for New Japan Pro Wrestling on 28 January 2006.^[1] In the fall of 2009, Hirasawa joined Yuji Nagata's new Blue Justice Army along with Wataru Inoue and Super Strong Machine. After embarking on an extended tour of Puerto Rican World Wrestling Council (WWC) in September 2010, Hirasawa adopted the new ring name Hideo Saito as a tribute to Masa Saito and Hideo Nomo.^[3] In WWC Saito would win both the WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship and the WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship.^[1] In May 2011 Saito took part in New Japan's first tour of the United States. On 13 May in Rahway, New Jersey, he entered the tournament to determine the first ever IWGP Intercontinental Champion, losing to Yujiro Takahashi in his first round match.^[4] Hirasawa returned to New Japan on 18 June, now going permanently by the Saito name, and turned on the Blue Justice Army and its leader Yuji Nagata, joining CHAOS.^[5][6] In August, Saito took part in the 2011 G1 Climax, losing his first eight matches only to pick up his opening win on the final day of the tournament in a match against former mentor, Yuji Nagata.^[7] On 19 September, Nagata defeated his former protégé in a grudge match.^[8]

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • As Hideo Saito
    • Caribbean Death Grip (Tongan death grip)^[9]
  • As Mitsuhide Hirasawa
    • Hira Bottom (Side slam)^[1][2]
    • Nagata Lock II (Crossface)^[2] – adopted from Yuji Nagata
• Signature moves
  • Diving headbutt^[2]
  • German suplex^[1][2]
  • Spear^[1][2]

Championships and accomplishments

• World Wrestling Council
  • WWC Caribbean Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[1]
  • WWC Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p} New Japan Pro Wrestling profile. Retrieved 24 July 2011. (Japanese)
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f} "Cagematch profile". Cagematch. http://cagematch.de/?id=2&nr=3389. Retrieved 14 May 2011. 
3. ^ "Hirasawa wins title in Puerto Rico!". Strong Style Spirit. 28 September 2010. http://www.puroresufan.com/njpw/?p=2146. Retrieved 18 May 2011. 
4. ^ Martin, Adam (14 May 2011). "5/13 New Japan Pro Wrestling Results: Rahway, NJ". WrestleView. http://www.wrestleview.com/viewnews.php?id=1305392240. Retrieved 15 May 2011. 
5. ^ "(Results) New Japan, 6/18/11". Strong Style Spirit. 18 June 2011. http://www.puroresufan.com/njpw/?p=2912. Retrieved 18 June 2011. 
6. ^ "今年の『G1 CLIMAX』出場20選手が決定!! 鈴木みのる、高山善廣、ラ・ソンブラも出場!!" (in Japanese). New Japan Pro Wrestling. 3 July 2011. http://www.njpw.co.jp/news/detail.php?nid=5899. Retrieved 3 July 2011. 
7. ^ "ブシロード Presents G1 Climax XXI ～The Invincible Fighter～" (in Japanese). New Japan Pro Wrestling. 14 August 2011. http://www.njpw.co.jp/match/detail_result.php?e=322. Retrieved 14 August 2011. 
8. ^ "(Results) New Japan, 9/19/11". Strong Style Spirit. 19 September 2011. http://www.puroresufan.com/njpw/?p=3169. Retrieved 19 September 2011. 
9. ^ "(Results) New Japan, 7/23/11". Strong Style Spirit. 23 July 2011. http://www.puroresufan.com/njpw/?p=3014. Retrieved 24 July 2011. 

External links

• Official New Japan Pro Wrestling profile (Japanese)
• Profile on Puroresu Central

Persondata
Name	Hirasawa, Mitsuhide
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	27 March 1982
Place of birth	Sapporo, Hokkaido
Date of death
Place of death